CNN Money: Trump adviser Gary Cohn's $285 million Goldman Sachs exit raises eyebrows
"The Goldman Sachs cash and stock payments present a serious ethics issue," said Lawrence Noble, general counsel at the Campaign Legal Center and a CNN contributor.
"This type of payment clearly calls into question whose interests Mr. Cohn will be representing as director of the National Economic Council," Noble said.
Noble believes the payments appear to qualify as "extraordinary payment," under which federal regulations require government officials to recuse themselves. These payments must exceed $10,000 and be made by a company after it became known that an individual was being considered for or had accepted a government position.